Coughlin, who won four races in eight final rounds during the season at the controls of his
JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger, took the title at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona when his only
remaining challenger, Jason Line, lost in the second round of eliminations.

"In this day and age, it is so tough to win out here," said Coughlin, who joins Shawn Langdon, John
Force and Matt Smith as 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Series world champions.

"We've seen a lot of races won and lost by just a few thousandths of a second," Coughlin continued.
"I think this is one of the tightest, and one of the most intense championships I've ever won. This
ranks right up there with 2007 when we had the two cuts to the Countdown to One in the first year
of our playoffs."

Coughlin, a native of Columbus, Ohio, becomes only the eighth driver in NHRA history to win five
pro series championships. He also won a Super Gas title in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series in 1992. This
title, his first since 2008, follows a disappointing 2012 season where he failed to win a race and
finished ninth in the points standings.

Langdon, Jones, Krawiec and Hagan

"To bring a second straight championship back to Auburn Hills for our friends at Mopar and another
one to Greeneville, Tenn., for the J&J Racing crew, and now a seventh overall world championship to
Delaware, Ohio, for everyone at JEGS, it feels fantastic," Coughlin said. "It ranks right up there
at the top."

Newly-crowned Top Fuel world champ Langdon finished off his year in style by racing to his seventh
victory of the season, holding off hard-charging Doug Kalitta at the finish line in the final
round. Langdon powered to a 3.784 second run at 323.58 mph in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to
finish in front of Kalitta's Mac Tools dragster, which posted a 3.808 at 322.04. Langdon defeated
Steve Torrence, David Grubnic and Clay Millican in the first three rounds.

"This is the top of the cake this weekend," said Langdon, who secured his first Top Fuel crown
following Saturday's qualifying. "It's an absolutely special weekend for everybody involved with
Al-Anabi Racing. This is what I envisioned as a kid wanting to be a professional drag racer. When
you're living a dream and being part of something special, it almost puts you at a loss for words.
I'm very fortunate to be a part of a great team. I still have to keep pinching myself."

The Southern California native became only the sixth Top Fuel driver to sweep both Pomona races, as
he opened the season with a victory at the NHRA Winternationals. Tony Schumacher (2004), Gary
Scelzi (2000), Mike Dunn (1999), Darrell Gwynn (1989), and Gary Ormsby (1986) also accomplished the
feat.

Langdon defeated Kalitta

"There are certain races you go to when you feel like you need to win the race as soon as you pull
in the gates, and we definitely have that in Pomona," Langdon said. "Alan works his magic out here,
and you can see by his track record. My crew chief, Brian Husen, gave me a phenomenal car all
weekend. The team has been in this position before, but it's all new to me as a driver. I was a
nervous wreck coming in, but I built up some confidence as the weekend went on. My lights started
getting better and better, and the car was getting better as well."

In Funny Car, Hagan gained a bit of revenge by defeating arch-rival Force in a marquee final round
pairing between the top two points finishers. Hagan, who won the race without the assistance of
crew chief Dickie Venables who was recuperating in Indianapolis after a recent medical procedure,
posted a 4.018 at 320.66 in his Magneti Marelli/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger to edge the 16-time
series champ's Castrol GTX Ford Mustang at the finish.

"I'm on cloud nine that our assistant crew chief stepped up and was able to fill some big shoes,"
Hagan said. "Dickie Venables was sick this weekend, and Mike Knudsen has never tuned a race car and
had to jump in here, and there hasn't been a crew chief [from another team] up in our lounge. I
mean, this guy has done a phenomenal job. It just shows you when something happens someone else can
step up and take the reins and run with it."

Hagan earned his 10th career victory and second at this event by also outrunning Alexis DeJoria,
Johnny Gray and Cruz Pedregon in earlier rounds. Hagan, who led the series standings for much of
the season, finished second to Force for the second time (also 2010).

"My guys have been working so hard; I'm so proud of them," said the 2011 world champ who moonlights
as a cattle rancher in his native Virginia. "I wish we could have won the championship, but that
goes to John this year. I'm young in this sport, and I'll just come in and fight for it next year."

Hagan defeated Force

Jones scored an emotional first career victory in Pro Stock, defeating defending world champ Allen
Johnson in the final round. The 26-year-old driver, who became the ninth different winner in the
competitive category, used a reaction time advantage and clocked a 6.584 at 210.28 in his Elite
Motorsports Chevy Camaro to hold off Johnson's quicker, but losing Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, which
finished in 6.581 at 211.03.

Jones outran Matt Hartford, four-time champ Greg Anderson and Buddy Perkinson to advance to his
fourth career final round. He broke down as he was climbing out of his car in the shut down area.

"Man, it was so emotional," Jones said. "You work for something so long, driving the race truck
across the country, and keep beating on it. This is what I've always wanted since I was racing
junior dragsters when I was 10. It seemed like it took forever for the win light to come on, and
when it did, there were so many tears in my eyes that I almost couldn't see the turnoff road. To
get my first win at the Finals at Pomona, which is one of the biggest races of the year, is really
awesome."

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, defending world champ Krawiec claimed his third win in his sixth
consecutive final round at this event when he rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines
Harley-Davidson to a performance of 6.918 at 192.41 to deny Scotty Pollacheck his first win.
Pollacheck trailed with a 6.963 at 193.57 on his Quality Tire Buell.

Jones defeated Johnson

"It was an awesome day," Krawiec said. "I'm fortunate that this race track has been my house.
That's the way I look at it. I do the best I can to not let anyone else win here. The odd stat is
that I've won here every year that I've lost the championship, and won this race in years when I've
lost the championship. I guess that it's a good way to cap the season either way."

Krawiec, who finished the season in third place in the standings, outran Steve Johnson, John Hall
and Michael Ray en route to taking his second victory of the season and 22nd of his career. He
celebrated the win with several Harley-Davidson execs, including Willie G (Davidson), the icon of
Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.

"I look up to him for what he's done in the sport," Krawiec said. "He has a long history of success
in motorcycle racing. I ended up giving him the race-win Wally. He has everything he's ever wanted,
but he didn't have a Wally. That was just a small token of my appreciation for him."

The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series opens Feb. 6-9 with the NHRA Winternationals at Auto
Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California.

Sunday's final results from the 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the final of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing
Series-